Prof Dr Elizabeth Gillies

Western University, Canada

Topic of Presentation:

Self-immolative polymers: chemistry and applications of stimuli-responsive depolymerization

Elizabeth Gillies is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Chemistry and Chemical & Biochemical Engineering at the University of Western Ontario. She earned her B.Sc. from Queen's University and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley under Jean Fréchet, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Bordeaux with Ivan Huc. Joining Western in 2006, her research focuses on biodegradable and self-immolative polymers, stimuli-responsive materials, coatings, and polymer assemblies for diverse applications. She has received awards including the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award (CIC) and the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship (NSERC). She is an Associate Editor at Biomacromolecules.

SELF-IMMOLATIVE POLYMERS: CHEMISTRY AND APPLICATIONS OF STIMULI-RESPONSIVE DEPOLYMERIZATION

Elizabeth Gillies^a,*

^aWestern University

Corresponding Author:egillie@uwo.ca

Abstract

Degradable polymers are of growing interest for many areas, including biomedical applications, smart materials and devices, and to address the challenges associated with plastics pollution. Significant progress has been made using backbones such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and a growing number of bio-based polymers. However, in some cases it is desirable to be able to control precisely when and where polymers degrade and to access their degradation under a diverse range of conditions. Self-immolative polymers are a growing class of degradable polymers that undergo controlled end-to-end depolymerization following a stimulus-mediated backbone or end-cap cleavage (Figure 1) (1, 2). This presentation will describe the development of self-immolative polymers based on cyclization-elimination mechanisms (3, 4) and those which depolymerize due to their low ceiling temperatures (5). Advantages and disadvantages of different backbones will be discussed. In addition, the potential application of these polymers in applications such as nanopatterning, hydrogels, and self-assemblies that can encapsulate and release nucleic acids will be presented.

Keywords: self-immolative, stimuli-responsive, degradable, hydrogel, self-assembly

Figure 1. Overall design schematic for depolymerization of a self-immolative polymer.

References

1. Gong, J.; Tavsanli, B.; Gillies, E. R. Annu. Rev. Mater. Res. 2024, 54, 47-73.

2. Deng, Z.; Gillies, E. R. JACS Au 2023, 3, 2436-2450.

3. DeWit, M. A.; Gillies, E. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 18327–18334.

4. Deng, Z.; Gillies, E. R. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 137, e202420054.

5. Fan, B.; Trant, J. F.; Wong, A. D.; Gillies, E. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 10116–10123.

Prof Dr Mitsuo Sawamoto

Chubu University / Kyoto University, Japan

Topic of Presentation:

Sustainable polymer science and materials: challenges and perspective

Education: B.S. (1974), M.S. (1976), and Ph.D. (1979) in polymer chemistry, Kyoto University.

Professional Career: Visiting scientist, The University of Akron, U.S.A. (1980–81); Assistant Professor (1981-91), Associate Professor (1993-94), and Professor (1994-2017), Department of Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto University; Professor (2017-24), Executive Advisor (2024-26), and Fellow (2026-), Frontier Research Institute Chubu University. Member, The Science Council of Japan (2002-); President, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ; 2008-10); Executive Program Director, The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (2014-24); and Executive Director, The Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ; 2017-24).

Research: > 525 original papers; > 52 reviews; > 46 patents; total citation, >28,000 times (55 papers with >100 citations); h-Index 78.

Awards: SPSJ Award (1992); CSJ Divisional Research Award (1999); ACS Arthur K. Doolittle Award (2002); Macro Group UK Medal (2012); SPSJ Award for Outstanding Achievement (2013); Alexander von Humboldt Research Award (2016); Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry (2017); SPSJ Honorary Membership (2019); Clarivate Citation Laureate in Chemistry (2021).

Honors: Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon (2015); Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (2025); Person of Cultural Merit (2025); and CSJ Honorary Membership (2026).

Sustainable Polymer Science and Materials: Challenges and Perspective

Mitsuo Sawamoto^a,*

^aFrontier Research Institute, Chubu University, Kasugai City, Aichi 487-8501, Japan

Corresponding Author:msawamoto@fsc.chubu.ac.jp

Abstract

“Sustainability” is now among the most critical global challenges that include global warming, resources depletion, and energy crisis. Polymer science is of course not immune to these challenges, microplastics and greeen polymirc materials in particular; it is therefore imperative to polymer science to address viable and implementable solutions for a “sustainable human society”. For polymer chemistry, the sustainability would imply sustainable polymer synthesis and sustainable polymer materials, and in my view, the “sustainable” here would be double-faceted: sustainable for society and sustainable as science and technology (Fig. 1). This Plenary Lecture will discuss these topics with recent examples, so as to find our perspective and future in polymer science and technology as well as chemical sciences.

Sustainable Polymer Synthesis. This would therefore be translated into: Polymer synthesis for sustainable society and polymer synthesis that is sustainable (as a discipline).

Polymer Synthesis for Sustainable Society will require the development of green polymer synthesis and implementable methods for polymer recycle, among others. Finding viable methods to secure sustainable carbon resources for monomers and chemicals would be most critical and imperative.

Polymer Synthesis that is Sustainable would rather be inward-looking, seeking for a survivable discipline, but to develop viable green synthetic methods for functional polymeric materials.

Sustainable Polymer Materials. This would in turn be translated into: Polymer materials for sustainable society and polymer materials that are sustainable as materials.

Polymer Materials for Sustainable Society are certainly of most imminent demands and include, among many others, a variety of separation membranes and novel materials for energy security in particular, though they themselves might not be sustainable or green.

Polymer Materials that are Sustainable implies to establish science and technology that provide sustainable polymer materials, including polymers from renewable feed stocks and biodegradable polymers; recyclable supramolecular polymers are of another emerging interest.

Keywords: Sustainable Polymer Synthesis , Sustainable Polymeric Materials , Polymers from Renewable Resources, Precision Polymer Synthesis , Polymer Recycle and Depolymerization

Fig. 1. Sustainable polymer synthesis and polymeric materials: Perspective.